UAE trademark applications up 98% in first half of 2022

Ministry of Economy received 10,750 applications following amendments to the trademark law

The Abu Dhabi skyline. The UAE recorded double the number of trademark applications in the first half of this year as it pushes to become a hub for innovation. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The number of trademark applications submitted in the UAE in the first half of the year nearly doubled, as amendments to the law removed barriers for innovators and boosted investor confidence, a government official said.

The Ministry of Economy received 10,750 new trademark applications, a 98 per cent increase from the same period last year, Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, assistant undersecretary for the commercial affairs regulatory sector, said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Under amendments to the trademark law, trade licences are no longer needed by people wishing to register a trademark, paving the way for more innovators to apply for the protection of their products, Mr Ali Al-Nuaimi told reporters at the Ministry of Economy's headquarters in Dubai.

The amendments will help boost investor confidence in the UAE's regulatory environment, while enhancing the economy's competitiveness and attractiveness globally, he said.

The UAE has recently undertaken a series of extensive legal reforms, with major changes including stronger protection under its trademark law.

Amendments offer protection to three-dimensional trademarks, holograms, sounds such as musical tones associated with a company, and trademarks such as a distinctive scent made for a company or brand.

Other changes enable geographical names to be included in trademarks in instances where a product has a strong association with a particular place.

The Ministry of Economy received 2,428 patent applications last year, up from 1,917 requests in 2020, from sectors such as machinery, construction, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, electricity, metals and information and communication technology, it said earlier this year.